Background

Cambodia’s rapid economic and population growth in the past two decades has led to a significant increase in the consumption of electric and electronic equipment, leading to a surge in e-waste generation, placing the country third in e-waste growth in East and Southeast Asia. 

The improper management and handling of e-waste poses numerous environmental and health challenges. At present, e-waste management is largely carried out by the informal sector with lack of safety and safeguarding measures with improper disposal leading to hazardous practices such as acid-leaching and open burning. This approach leads to higher emissions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including unintentionally produced POPs (UPOPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), as well as mercury and other toxic substances, creating serious risks for both human health and the environment.

The objective of the GEM project is to enhance environmentally sound management of electronic waste by reducing hazardous chemical and waste release, increasing circularity, and improving resources efficiency in the electronics sector of the country and thus contribute to the overarching principles of the Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028 and National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan.  

Target Objectives 

Output 1: Enabling policy on circular economy for electronics

Output 2: Cleaner production and sustainable consumption and use

Output 3: Resource-efficient value chain across the electronics sector

Output 4: Knowledge management, communication, and program-level coordination